


Why Blow My Cover When You Could Blow Me Instead?

by Chrystie, kate882



Category: DC Cinematic Universe, DCU, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 03:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12424140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrystie/pseuds/Chrystie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate882/pseuds/kate882
Summary: “You know there’s a rumor going around that the Red Hood and Nightwing are dating,” he mentioned as he typed away at his laptop.Dick didn’t really think about it as he just automatically answered with, “That’s probably because we usually are.”The typing came to an abrupt stop and Tim looked up at him with wide eyes. “What?”





	Why Blow My Cover When You Could Blow Me Instead?

It wasn’t that Jason wasn’t aware that Dick would be at the event. He’d seen the guest list and had all the names memorized. 

He’d just kind of figured he’d be gone by the time Richard ‘I’m so sorry I’m late I had to do something amazing like save a cat stuck in a tree or something; feel free to swoon over my greatness and invest in Wayne Co.’ Grayson could show up.

But this was taking forever. Kori and Roy weren’t so obvious as to be shooting him nervous looks, but Roy had glanced at his watch a few times now and Kori simply smiling indulgently to the people she was mingling with rather than really trying to interact anymore while they waited for Jason to either finish or need them to emerge from the crowd as backup.

And really it wasn’t that he needed backup or anything at the moment. These people were just long winded and  _ boring.  _ You’d think people partaking in human trafficking might be more interesting, but Jason was  _ this close  _ to shooting them just so they’d shut the fuck up instead of for the obvious reasons.

And then suddenly Roy’s voice was in his ear. “Grayson just walked in. He’s looking at you. Should I cut him off?”

Jason was about to signal for Roy to do just that, but Dick was there before he could.

“J-”

Jason moved as quickly as he could without it being suspicious. “Darling, I thought I told you to mingle while I did business,” he said, wrapping an arm around Dick’s waist and giving him a patented Bruce Wayne smile that he knew Dick would recognize as any Robin, former or otherwise, would.

He tapped a quick pattern with his pointer finger against Dick’s waist.  _ Job. Leave.  _ His smile didn’t falter for even a moment as he looked at the men he’d been talking to with a slight shrug and roll of his eyes as if to say ‘what can you do?’.

Dick didn't waste any time being confused, but of course he still couldn't bother to actually do what Jason asked for once. “Thought I'd check on you for a bit, see if you’ve been playing nice.”

Jason could hear Roy sighing in the ear piece, and shared the sentiment silently. It seemed this was going to become a four person job. “I'm always nice,” he answered, pecking Dick on the cheek.

He turned to the group. “Gentleman, I'm sure you've met my lovely date of the evening before. Richard Grayson.” If it had been anyone but Dick he would have offered a fake name, but Dick was a little too well known in these circles for him to risk that.

A few of them looked wary of the new comer, but they all shook Dick’s hand anyway.

“Babe, why don't you go get us some drinks?” He asked, leaning in to brush his lips against the shell of Dick’s ear. “They won't talk with you here. Ask Kori for details,” he murmured quietly enough that the men wouldn't hear, hoping that a promise to join in on the real mission would be enough for him to leave Jason alone for information gathering.

It seemed to appease Dick enough for him to actually agree with a pleasant “Of course,” but didn't stop him from shooting Jason a look telling him not to do something stupid.

Jason gave him a wide grin and a quick kiss on the lips and then gave his full focus back to the mission, hearing Kori talking to Dick at the bar through their communicators.

Having Dick on the mission later that night meant that their criminals got taken away in cuffs instead of body bags, but Jason was used to that being the case when Nightwing got involved. Hell, half the criminals in Gotham seemed aware that if Nightwing was visiting from Bludhaven, they had a much higher chance of survival and almost seemed glad to see him.

It wasn't really a rule in place to respect Dick’s morals, because really they were Bruce’s morals and fuck him, but because Jason had learned the hard way that taking the time to argue it let people slip away.

The only casualty ended up being an ‘unrelated’ assassination of a tech company CEO the next day that made more news than five hundred kids getting returned to their families.

* * *

The next time they ran into each other, it was Dick who was pulling Jason into him by the waist. “Honey, didn't expect to see you here.” Dick had been in the middle of getting info for the next big drug smuggle into Gotham when Jason had strolled by, and if he was surprised to be grabbed around the waist it didn't show on his face or in his body language.

“I was taking a shortcut,” he answered, relaxing against Dick’s side. “Who are your friends?”

“Just a few guys I met. They were telling me about a rumour that’s been going around recently.”

“Rumor huh? Any interesting gossip on the streets today?” Jason tilted his head and looked between Dick’s new ‘friends’ and Dick himself expectantly.

One of the three seemed to interpret the look the wrong way, his face scrunching in disgust. “Don't worry dude, you're boyfriends pretty but we don't roll that way.”

Dick huffed out a chuckle before looking up at Jason with amusement. “Looks like I'm all yours.”

“You guys are disgusting,” the same guy sighed. Dick and Jason ignored it for the sake of the information. One of his buddies elbowed him for them anyway. He glared, but kept talking. “We were telling your boy toy here that it's been circulating that Gotham’s gonna be swimming in coke after the weekend.”

“Apparently they're planning on bringing it in separate shipments to put off the Bat. One comes by boat, the other by train,” added the one next to him.

“Any idea when that's gonna be?” He shot Dick a wide grin. “We could make it a party.”

“Looks like you’ve got a date,” the last guy chuckled, “There’s no confirmed time, but word is that it’s gonna be around noon. Less shadows for any caped crusaders to hide in.”

“Makes sense. And the dude’s gotta have a day job of some kind,” Jason agreed. “Or sleep or something. Even the Bat can't be everywhere at once.”

“No he sure can’t.”

It was lucky for Dick and Jason that guys like that didn’t typically feel the need to chat for extended periods of time, letting Dick pull Jason along with him after they had enough information. “You know, I don’t remember having a cape,” Dick chuckled.

“Funny, I don’t either,” Jason answered. “Dibs on the boat.”

“Don’t think you can catch a train?”

“Someone trying to get out of catching a train?”

“Well if you don’t think you’re fast enough...” Dick aimed a grin towards Jason.

Jason raised an eyebrow, grinning right back. “Are you trying to tell me you’d prefer me throwing drug smugglers off a moving train to a boat? Or that you want to go diving in Gotham’s bay? I hear the pollution is nice this time of year. I guess a boat would be easier for you to do one of your backflips off of though. Is that what this is about?”

Dick supposed Jason wasn’t easy enough to fall for jab as simple as his first but it was worth a try. “Hey, if you’d prefer the swim, be my guest. Your jackets been looking like it’s up for a wash.”

“Who says I'm not skinny dipping? I'd ask you to join, seeing as apparently we’re dating and have been together long enough for a coke party, but I think you've got a train to catch.”

“How, oh how did I ever get so lucky,” Dick said dryly.

Jason nodded in agreement. “I know right? I'm way out of your league.”

“Sure,” Dick rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say.”

“Whatever I say? Then I guess I say that I call dibs on the boat,” Jason replied, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “You got a lighter? Roy took mine this morning.”

Dick sighed. He supposed he’d walked into that one. “Can’t help you there, it’s not really one of the things you’re ‘boy toy’ carries around.” Despite the implications of it, Dick still thought it was kind of hilarious to be thought of as such.

“Seriously? Don't you ever need to start fires? What's the point of even having a boy toy if he can't help when your shitty best friend takes your stuff?” Jason shoved the pack back in his pocket.

“Smoking kills,” Dick immediately regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. “Crap.”

“Shit really? I’ve never heard that. Second time for everything I guess,” Jason smirked at him. “Well, since you don’t have a lighter, I’m going to go buy one so I can smoke my death stick.”

“Yeah, well just try not to pocket any death powder too while we’re on the job,” Dick waved him off.

“If I did you probably wouldn’t have to worry about the smoking killing me; Roy would take care of that,” Jason said as he started walking off back the way they’d come, presumably to go wherever he was going before. Probably to buy a lighter. “See you around, Dickiebird.”

* * *

“Babe!” Jason stumbled over to Dick, grinning lopsidedly, with a beer in hand. “Babe you gotta help me out,” he said, his words slurred a bit.

He almost perfectly looked the part of a drunk at the bar, except his eyes were just a little too focused.

“These guys here, bet me that I couldn't beat them at pool. And I totally can, but I need a partner. So who better than my partner?” He wrapped his arms around Dick in what looked to be half hug and half attempt to stay upright.

Dick bit back a grin, placing his hands on Jason’s hips to look like he was stabilizing him. “You sure you haven’t had a few too many for this?”

“No way! I'm not even drunk,” Jason declared with a wide smile. “Maybe a little tipsy,” he admitted, laughing.

“Only a little, right?” Dick laughed along with him, “I hope you didn’t bet too much.”

“Won't matter if we don't lose,” Jason released Dick from his arms and started pulling him towards the pool tables by his hand.

Dick shot the guys they were playing against a regretful smile as he and Jason let them sink a few balls before they completely decimated them. “You were right babe, I guess I didn’t need to worry.”

“Now, I think you boys owe me a location,” Jason said, no traces of drunken slurring in his voice anymore.

“You fucker, you hustled us,” one of the men accused, glaring at them.

“And you were stupid enough to fall for it, so who's the real fucker here?”

Jason and Dick moved before the guy could even complete the movement towards his gun, Jason taking the trigger happy one and Dick taking his friend.

“Now that's not very sportsman like,” Jason chided as his bent the guy over the pool table, holding his arm at a painful angel. “My boyfriend here isn't very partial to torture, and to be honest with you, it's not really my thing either. But I'm willing to break a few bones,” he pushed the arm in his grip a bit further until the guy let out a strangled sound of pain, “to get what I want. We tried to play this friendly, and you guys lost. So tell me what I need to know or your arm might just snap.”

The people in the bar weren't even giving them second glances, which spoke to what kind of place they were in.

“Alright, alright! A warehouse on 57th street! Now let go of me!”

Jason let go and shoved the guy to the ground. “See? Not so hard. And you barely even got hurt.” He turned his grin on Dick. “Ready to go babe?”

“You know you're horrible, right?” Despite that, Dick couldn't really help giving him his own grin.

“Oh please. He’ll be sore for like a day or two,” Jason waved him off, slinging an arm over Dick’s shoulders and leading him out.

“So what was that about?”

“Weapons that are gonna be sold off to the highest bidders in gotham. Roy, Kori, and I are going to take them before that happens, we just needed to know where they were.”

“Take them and not keep them, right?” Dick really knew better, but he could always hope.

Jason gave him a  _ look.  _ “Sure, sure,” he said, not even trying for convincing.

Dick rolled his eyes, “If I pretend I don’t know you’re gonna stashing be them, then I won’t be responsible for what you do with them.” Dick may have been a hopeful person, and he could probably wrestle the weapons away from Jason with enough effort, but he wasn’t hopeful enough to think he could also stop Kori and Roy along with him.

“That's the spirit,” Jason replied cheerfully.

“You’re still a horrible boyfriend. I think this was our worst date yet.”

“What? No way, we won a game of pool together. Something to be proud of.”

“You know they had no chance. Can only be so proud.”

“Listen, if you walk into the date with a bad attitude there’s nothing I can do about it. You were more fun when I was drunk,” he teased.

“And you were cuter when you were drunk,” Dick jabbed back, putting a hand on Jason’s hip.

“You’re just saying that because I was hanging all over you.”

“Yes,” Dick grinned. He’d never say it, but when Jason acted clingy like that it reminded him of the good old days when Jason would hang off Dick’s every word but thought he was being subtle about it.

“Don't go getting used to it. I'm more of a tired drunk if you actually get me trashed,” he sounded almost sheepish as he admitted it. There had been several nights where he'd come home wasted and fallen asleep on the couch with Roy or Kori, or both of them. Although that last one was always an interesting feat considering their couch wasn't really big enough for three people to sleep on. “Guess all the late night vigilante shit catches up or something.”

“At least you’re getting sleep in somewhere. Hate to see you get sloppy ‘cause you think you don’t need to rest.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Jason said with a roll of his eyes.

“I handle it,” Dick said, maybe a little too defensively. He slept… enough.

“Sure you do. Well, try to get some rest while I handle the weapons thing.”

“No kiss goodnight and goodbye for your boyfriend?” Dick lightly teased.

Jason shrugged, gave him a quick kiss on the lips and waved as he started to walk off. “See you around,” he called over his shoulder with a smirk.

* * *

It ended up becoming a thing that they did that pretty much every time they were around each other lately, they fell into the role of a couple.

To the point that it even happened when they weren’t on a mission.

Jason walked into the nearest coffee shop to the safe house he’d crashed in, noticed Dick at the back of the line, and almost automatically walked over to wrap his arms around him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Morning darling. You’re up early.”

And then he noticed that Dick was wearing his officer uniform, standing next to another officer who was giving them a surprised look, and realized that Dick wouldn’t be on a job dressed like that. That he was probably on a coffee run for his sation. And that Jason probably wasn’t the kind of guy Officer Grayson needed to be seen hanging around. But it was a bit late for that.

Past the initial shock, Dick seemed to do what he always did and just went along with it, taking it in stride. “Hey, you’re up pretty early yourself. Get any sleep last night?”

“Like … an hour,” Jason said after taking a second to think about it. “Give or take thirty minutes.”

He put up a friendly smile for Dick’s partner. “Hey, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jason,” he offered his hand. 

The woman smiled at him and gave a firm shake. “Officer Smith. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dick’s partner.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Jason lied, although he’d read her file at one point he’d never really discussed Dick’s day job with him too much.

“All good things I hope,” she smiled at them.

“Oh, of course. Dickiebird here doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, so I’m not getting any of the good gossip around the station.”

“What’s there to gossip about when you’re there to keep things interesting,” Dick chuckled.

Jason gave Officer Smith an exasperated look. “See what I mean?”

She just chuckled at them. “Dick, you never told me you had a boyfriend. You should have brought him to Jeremy’s party last week.”

“I don’t know if the guys at the station are quite ready for him,” Dick laughed nervously.

“If he’s making you happy that’s good enough for us,” she replied, before walking up the the counter to give her order.

“Sorry if I just made things weird for you at work,” Jason said quietly once she was far enough away.

“It’ll be fine,” Dick sounded a lot more sure of that than Jason had expected, “Besides, maybe now the receptionists will stop hitting on me.”

Jason laughed at that. “Well this truly is a day to mark down. Dick Grayson not interested in someone flirting with him.”

“Says the guy with his arms around me.”

“I never tried to play the role of ladies man though. That was all you and Bruce.”

“Ladies man doesn’t mean player. I don’t just fall for any smile that comes my way.” He didn’t even sound a little embarrassed calling himself that.

“Should I feel special?” Jason teased, leading them up to the register to make his own order since Dick’s partner seemed to have gotten the coffee orders for the whole station without Dick’s help.

Dick waited until after Jason had made his order and they’d stepped to the side to give him an answer. “Maybe a little. It’s only every so often I let someone get so close.”

“And I guess every so often doesn’t include pretty receptionists?”

“No, not particularly,” Dick chuckled.

“Well, let me know if you need me to drop by the station at some point to drive the message home,” Jason said, picking up his coffee. “I’ve gotta get going. I’m meeting up with Kori in thirty minutes. Have fun stopping bad guys, or whatever it is you do.”

* * *

They’d probably gotten too used to just flirting with each other every time they were around each other, even when they weren’t playing boyfriends.

It became quite apparent that they were maybe doing that a little too much when Tim was staying at Dick’s place for a few days.

“You know there’s a rumor going around that the Red Hood and Nightwing are dating,” he mentioned as he typed away at his laptop.

Dick didn’t really think about it as he just automatically answered with, “That’s probably because we usually are.”

The typing came to an abrupt stop and Tim looked up at him with wide eyes. “What?”

Dick arched an eyebrow at Tim, as though he was the one who sounded ridiculous. “What?”

“You and Jason-  _ usually _ \- you know what, never mind.” Tim started typing again. “Does Bruce know yet?”

“Why would he need to? It’s not like we’re actually...” Dick finally stopped to think about it.  _ Were _ they dating? It sure seemed like they were given how they’d been acting lately. Was it even fake anymore?

“Sounds like you might want to talk to Jason about it,” Tim commented.

Dick winced, “Yeah, maybe.”

“Good luck with that,” Tim didn’t sound very sympathetic as he barely even glanced up at Dick. 

“You’re support is overwhelming, Timmy.” Dick sighed, “I’ll talk to him about it the next time I see him.”

“Always happy to help.”

* * *

It really said something that the next time he saw Jason, his first instinct was to surprise him with a hug and kiss. He decided that was not going to be the best way to start the conversation. “Hey Jay,” he started with instead, as he landed gently on the rooftop next to him.

Jason glanced over at him before taking off the red helmet. “What’s up?”

“Tim pointed something out to me the last time I saw him.”

“And what does Replacement have to say that’s got you acting weird?”

“Are we dating?” He blurted out. Not as tactful as he was hoping for.

Jason’s eyes went wide, and he looked torn between making a break for it and putting his helmet back on to hide his face. “I-I don’t know. Do you want to be?”

“Yes? I think?” Dick had some time to think about it and that was still the best answer he could come up with. “I mean if you think about it, it feels like we kinda have been for a few months now anyway.”

Jason wasn’t looking at him now. “I mean, we could try. See how it goes.”

Dick felt a mix of shock and relief that Jason wasn't against the idea like he was worried he'd be. Playing around was one thing, an actual relationship was a little different. “Then maybe we could start our trying with an actual kiss, maybe?”

“Don’t most people start dating by going on a date?” Jason asked, even as he walked over to cup Dick’s face in his hands and kiss him long and slow, exploring his mouth in a way their quick pecks hadn’t really allowed for before.

Dick leaned into the kiss, letting out a pleased hum as he did so. “I guess we can do that too,” he said once they found the will to stop for a second.

“Maybe after the sun is up again though?”

“That is when dates typically happen,” he agreed, “and I think we’re still technically working.”

“Speak for yourself. I just finished my patrol, I'm going home.”

“Okay,  _ I'm  _ still working,” Dick sighed, “just try not to kill me if you get a late night visitor later.”

Jason laughed. “I’ll try, Boy Wonder. Have fun.” He dropped another kiss on Dick’s lips before heading off in the direction of his safe house, texting the address to Dick as he went.

And later that night he did manage not to shoot Dick on instinct when he woke up to the sound of someone breaking into the safe house. Barely. But it worked out fine, so they could both call it a win.


End file.
